Magdalene

a surname derived from Magdala, the place of her nativity, given to one of the Marys of the Gospels to distinguish her from the other Marys ( Matthew 27:56Matthew 27:61 ; 28:1 , etc.). A mistaken notion has prevailed that this Mary was a woman of bad character, that she was the woman who is emphatically called "a sinner" ( Luke 7:36-50 ). (See MARY .)